List of High-Quality Carbs

Fruits like blackberries are high in fiber and full of disease-fighting antioxidants (see reference 3).

Like fat and protein, carbs are an essential component of your diet. As your body's preferred source of energy, most of the calories in your diet should come from carbs. However, when it comes to carb choices, quality matters. High-quality carbs do more than just boost your energy, they also provide nutrients that help you maintain a healthy weight and improve your health.

Whole Grains

When you're looking to improve the quality of the carbs in your diet, look no further than whole grains. Whole grains are naturally rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and healthy fats. Swapping your refined grain foods, such as white bread and sugary cereal, with whole grains can reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Whole-grain foods include oats, quinoa, wild rice, whole-wheat bread, whole-grain pasta and popcorn.

Fruits

Low in calories and loaded with disease-fighting nutrients, fruits are also high-quality carbs. Eat a rainbow of fruits to maximize your nutrient intake. Good choices include blueberries, blackberries, apples, bananas, pears, pineapples and cherries.

Beans

Beans are so nutrient-rich that they are considered a vegetable and a protein. As a high-quality carb, beans are a good source of fiber, zinc, folate, iron and, of course, protein. Including more beans in your diet may help you better manage blood sugar, lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels and improve blood pressure. Add beans, such as chickpeas, kidney beans or black beans, to your salad, rice or soup.

Vegetables

Like fruits, vegetables are also a nutrient-rich, low-calorie, high-quality carb. Eating vegetables helps you meet your vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and folate needs. Vegetables are also a good source of fiber. Filling your diet with these high-quality carbs can lower your risk of heart disease, certain cancer, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Milk

You may not think of milk as a source of carbs, but 1 cup of milk has almost as many carbs as one slice of whole-wheat bread. Milk is considered a high-quality carb because of its bone-building nutrients calcium and vitamin D. It is also a good source of protein. For good health, make sure the milk in your diet is low-fat or nonfat.

About the Author

Jill Corleone is a registered dietitian and health coach who has been writing and lecturing on diet and health for more than 15 years. Her work has been featured on the Huffington Post, Diabetes Self-Management and in the book "Noninvasive Mechanical Ventilation," edited by John R. Bach, M.D. Corleone holds a Bachelor of Science in nutrition.